


Starlight

by crofters_jam



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Attempted Kidnapping, Disappearance, Dreams, Dreams and Nightmares, Fantasy, Growing Up, Kidnapping, LGBT, Medieval, Original Character(s), Original work - Freeform, Other, Reading, Reading Aloud, Reading Out Loud, SPAAAAACE, SS Starlight, Sibling Bonding, Stargazing, averill likes space, connor likes space, connor wtf, gender-neutral character(s), get your shit together, i like space, space, starlight
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-21
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-01 03:41:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12147870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crofters_jam/pseuds/crofters_jam
Summary: A gender-neutral world is hard to come by in a mix of alternate realities and dimensions, but every once in a while you'll stumble across one like Pali. The people of Pali are happy people, who look on the bright side of things and look up to their leaders, King Karson, King Ena, Prince Averill, and Prince Connor. But one day as Averill steps into his brother's bedroom, the whole world flips.





	1. Prologue

The night was silent. Moonlight formed a spotlight around the two princes, bathing them in a silver light. Averill stared at Connor. A year hadn’t changed him. He wore the same clothes that he had worn the day he disappeared. His hair was still pulled up in a messy ponytail, and the layers that framed his face still shown the golden color that he had gotten from their Pa. His dark blue eyes sparkled in the light. The two stood there for a beat, neither moving an inch.

“ _Connor!_ ”

Averill dashed forward, aiming for his older brother’s arms. Connor laughed, the same little chuckle from so long ago. Averill could hear his feet pounding against the ground as he tore across the meadow. He was so close to Connor, the wind rushing through his hair. He leaped towards the other, tears pricking his eyes.

As soon as Averill touched him, Connor exploded in a cloud of stardust. Averill hit the ground with a grunt.

As the stardust settled on the ground, the only sound left in the night was the sound of Averill’s sobs.


	2. Infinity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor pulled Averill throughout the halls and up stairs until they reached the small roof of the palace.

_ Age 5 _

 

Averill tried to hold in his laughter as the 10-year-old Connor lead him down the hallway. The two peeked around the nearest corner to check for guards. It was close to 1 in the morning, and neither of them were supposed to be up. Connor pulled Averill throughout the halls and up stairs until they reached the small roof of the palace. Before the two of them had stumbled upon the small section, no one had been up there in years. Connor grabbed the blanket he had pulled off his bed and spread it neatly on the ground. The two laid down on the blanket and looked up at the stars. Connor started whispering gently.

 

“That one,” he said, pointing at the brightest star. “Our people call that one  _ ferox _ , fierce in an old language called Latin.”

 

Connor pointed at a slightly less bright one to the right of  _ ferox _ .

 

“That one’s called  _ pueri parvi _ .”

 

“What does peri parking mean?” Averil’s voice popped into Connor’s explanation.

 

“ _ Pueri parvi _ . It actually reminds me of you.”

 

“Really!?”

 

“Yup. It means small child.”

 

“Hey!” Averill hit Connor as hard as he could. Which wasn’t very hard.

 

“Oh no! I’m being attacked! I’ll have to go inside to keep myself safe!”

 

“No!” Averill shouted at him, grabbing his leg to try to keep him there.

 

“Fine. Do you want me to name some more?”

 

Averill nodded excitedly.

 

Connor began pointing out different stars.  _ Parum canis _ ,  _ mollis flumine _ ,  _ gelida _ \- all the ones he could remember.

 

“-that’s  _ timidus _ -” Connor looked down as Averill slumped against him, exhausted from the long night. Connor chuckled and wrapped the smaller boy up in the blanket to carry him downstairs. He talked to the blanket burrito as he started to walk.

 

“The universe really is amazing. I’d like to go out there, maybe see how far it goes. Who knows? It may be infinity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All the Latin in this is google translated. I don't know Latin.


	3. Rachel's Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Connor was sitting on his bed, head already buried into a thick book. Without disturbing him, Averill walked over to the small section of Connor's bookshelf that held the picture books that he liked to read. He grabbed one before running over to sit next to the older boy.

_Age 6_

Averill ran out of the classroom he had been learning in. The sun was shining harshly in the sky, and he just wanted to be home. It was a hot day in this part of Pali, and he wanted nothing more than to sit with Connor and read a book. Averill finally got back to the towering stone palace. He waved hello to the guards - Ethan and Padack the Destroyer were their names (Padack was a strange name. he was cursed with the unfortunate last name of the Destroyer. His father, George the Destroyer, had taken on that last name after destroying a wall. George was not the brightest man that ever lived.) - and ran down the hallway, through the dining room, causing a shout of surprise to be heard from King Karson, and up the tower of stairs into Connor's room. Connor was sitting on his bed, head already buried into a thick book. Without disturbing him, Averill walked over to the small section of Connor's bookshelf that held the picture books that he liked to read. He grabbed one before running over to sit next to the older boy.

The two sat in silence, the only sounds being heard were the turning of pages, only interrupted by Averill running to grab another book. Eventually, Connor shut his book softly and turned to Averill. 

"Do you want to hear the next chapter?"

Averill nodded excitedly, shutting his own book and tossing it to the side, running back to the bookshelf. He picked up a thick book. The book had a nice yellow cover on it, with the title, _Rachel's Tale_ , etched into it. He brought it back to Connor and climbed back onto the bed. Connor opened the book to Chapter 6 and began to read.

"Rachel stood in the center of the market, looking around. He had seen a cart traveling nearby with the jewel he was searching for shoved on top of a blanket."

Connor's voice filled the room as Averill listened intently. Connor’s voice was smooth, his eyes half-lidded. He read softly, making his way through the chapter.

"The prison door slammed shut with a bang."

Connor closed the book.

"That's the end of Chapter 6."

"Can't we read a little more?" Averill begged, grabbing onto Connor's sleeve.

"Not today, Averill."

"Can we at least talk about it?" Averill let go of the sleeve and sat back a little. "I mean, Rachel is such a strange name. I've never heard anyone here use it-"

A knock interrupted him. A servant opened the door, his head poking into the room.

"Prince Connor, Prince Averill, It's time for dinner."

Connor nodded at the servant, dismissing him. He stood up from where he sat on the deep blue blanket.

"Come on, Averill. We can read more tomorrow."

"Wait!" Averill stopped him, climbing off the bed as well. "Can you at least tell me where you got that book?"

Connor stopped for a second, a faraway look in his eyes.

"Not exactly, but it's so far away, you may as well call it another world."


	4. Fairy Tale

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When you miss someone, two days can feel like 2 decades.

_Age 6_

When you miss someone, two days can feel like 2 decades. Connor had been reported missing since 2 mornings earlier. The entire kingdom was searching high and low, watching for the prince’s golden hair. Averill was doing the best he could, but he didn’t understand. Why wouldn’t Connor come home? The younger prince spent the two long nights curled up in Connor’s reading corner, hugging Rachel’s Tale. Every once in awhile, someone would come into the room, just to see if the older prince was there.

The sun began to set on the third night of heartbreak for the kingdom and royal family. Averill began to cry. Where is he? He buried himself into the cushion, closing his eyes and slowly slipping into a dream.

☆☆☆

The movement of someone rustling around in the room woke Averill up. He jumped a little, clutching the yellow book tightly to his chest as he spotted a figure, hidden in the shadows of the night, on the other side of the room. The figure turned around, the moonlight highlighting his eyes. They were a deep blue, and the light made parts of them sparkle, shining like the night sky. Averill knew the blue of the eyes.

“Connor?”

The figure chuckled, and though Averill couldn’t see, he could hear the smile in the boy’s voice.

“Hey, Av.”

“Connor!” Averill leapt forward, pulling Connor into a tight hug.

“Sorry I’ve been gone, Av,” Connor said, hugging the boy back. “I promise, from now on, I’ll never be that far away.”

The lie slid off Connor’s tongue, a comforting fairy tale that would eventually break into the harsh light of reality.


End file.
